Review: Ballet San Antonio’s ‘Dracula’

If you didn’t see Ballet San Antonio’s original production of “Dracula” last year you should make an effort to see this weekend’s reprise at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. It will put you in the mood for Halloween but it’s also a sophisticated, polished show conceived and created entirely by San Antonio artists.

The 2012 version is similar to last year’s but tweaked here and there both in story-telling and visual presentation. The mood is set from the start thanks to Phillip Feeney’s score which begins with eerie sounds and intermittent ominous banging that conjure up a massive door of a dark castle somewhere in the deserted countryside. It is, of course, the soon-to-be-seen Count Dracula’s castle that young English lawyer John Harker (Jayson Pescasio) has traveled to Transylvania to visit.

The scenes in the castle when John meets Dracula have been skillfully altered for greater effect. Played by principal dancer Ian Morris, Dracula is even more menacing and compelling. His speed, strength, acting and sheer presence give you shivers. Choreographer Gabriel Zertuche heightens the tension between the two men by having them criss-cross the stage in a series of leaps – including grand jetés – at times passing each other in the air, high above the ground. Perhaps this beautiful choreography was already in place at the premiere but we couldn’t see it too well because the dancers were dressed in dark clothes while performing on a deeply darkened stage. This time lighting designer Tim Francis has done a great job of preserving the gloomy mood while allowing Morris and Pescasio to be fully appreciated.

As last year, the set, designed by Karen Miller and constructed by SRO Associates, Inc., provides an excellent framework for the action, from the turreted castle with a grand staircase to a ballroom in the English town of Whitby where the action moves to in the second act. Here, we finally get to see the two female heroines dance – Mina, John’s fiancée, portrayed by Sarah Aujon, and her friend Lucy played by Saki Yabumoto, both principal dancers reprising their roles. Both women project delicate grace and vulnerability and a remarkable fluidity of movement, mostly in duets with Morris and Pescasio (Aujon) and with Dylan Duke (Yabumoto).

The story follows the basic outline of the classic gothic novel but moves fast. The whole show is over in less than two hours. I cannot be sure, but it seems to me that some of the duets have been abbreviated, which would be a pity because they are so beautiful. Morris and Aujon are great partners and a joy to watch in every context. Thankfully, Duke and Yabumoto’s Act II duet is allowed to proceed at an almost languid pace, capturing both the couple’s pleasure in each other and a sense of sadness as if presaging the tragic events that follow. (Lucy gets bitten by Dracula, becomes a vampire and ultimately dies.)

Other accomplished dancers who lend important support throughout are Raul Salamanca as one of Lucy’s three suitors; Andrea Alshouse, Danae Quevedo and Lydia Relle as Dracula’s lead “undead” brides; and Husan Hopuy as both one of Lucy’s suitors and as a feared Gypsy in the market scene. In addition, another 10 white-clad dancers fill the stage with eye-pleasing ensemble patterns as the rest of the brides living in Dracula’s castle.

Though it’s probably not suitable for very young children, “Dracula” is likely to entertain both adults and youngsters, with each group engaging with the show on a different level.

“Dracula” can be seen at 8 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 27) and 3 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 28) at the Lila Cockrell Theatre, 200 E.Market; $15-$70 through Ticketmaster or at the door.